Social networking services enable users to share comments, photographs, web link citations and other content through a variety of internet-based applications with other users, as well as with non-users or members of the public that gain access to the relevant internet site content. Depending on the social media platform deployed, users as members may be able to directly contact and engage in communications with any other member. Social networking services facilitate the development of online social networks by connecting a user's profile with those of other individuals and/or groups, and comprehend a variety of media, network and site infrastructures.
A user generally creates a unique profile that is personal to the user and includes textual and audio-visual data that communicates or projects basic identity, demographic or personal user information on a given social networking service. Some data shared to a social network site on behalf of a user is provided by other users, typically via obtaining prior permission to upload data items based on a recognized relationship to the user, such as a friend, business colleague, school mate, family member, etc.
Data uploads or comments from other users that are relevant to another user may be added within that user's knowledge or approval, dependent on the relationship-based identity or permission recognized by the rules of a particular social network site. Such shared content may include text comments and messages and uploaded photographic images (video, still pictures). Often a user is identified in uploaded photographic images by “tagging” or other metadata entries, while visibly engaged in activities such as touring geographic sites, attending events, engaged in public performances (for example, speaking, acting, playing music, playing sports), etc. Thus, a variety of different photographic content items shared by a user or other, permitted user within a predefined relationship to that user combine to convey a public persona or impression of the user to viewers or users of the social networking site.